Vent valve



April 5 1938 c. M. MITCHELL ,2,113,454

VENT VALVE Filed Oct. 19,'1936 l' IWW Patented Apr. 5, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE A This invention relates to a vent valve adapted rfor general application but particularly designed for oil barrels or cylindrical drums in domestic use. Such barrels are commonly mounted on 1 5 stands or supports; from which they are at times removed or accidentally dislodged.4 It is very important that escape of oil .through the vent valve under these circumstances be eifectually prevented.

` It is the general object of my invention to provide an improved vent valve which will lose automatically when the barrel or drum is moved substantially away from its normal vertical position, in which position the vent valve is upperl5 most. v

A further object of my invention is to provide a simple and self-contained vent valve o1 the safety type which may be inserted and secured in the ordinary threaded cap or plug opening in an oil barrel or drum.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations o! parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out .in the appended claim.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawing, in which Pig. 1 is a sectional side elevation oi my improved valve in normal vertical or open position;

Pig. 2 is a similar view but showing the valve in horizontal closed pomtion;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the valve body, looking in the direction of the arrow! in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of a modied cap construction.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown a portion oi a tank or barrel B having a threaded opening il for the usual removable cap or plug.

My improved vent valve comprises a body I2 having a flange i3, the body being threaded to ilt 4o the opening il in the wall of the barrel B. A washer I4 may be inserted between the ilange I I and the outside of the barrel to make a tight Joint.

'111e body I! has a chamber I5 in which a ball il ia loosely mounted. A fine mesh wire screen Il covers the upper end of the chamber II and is heldin position by a cap 2l provided with vent openings li and fitting snugly over an upward extension I2 of the body l2. so Ihe lower end of the chamber i5 is contracted as shown in the drawing and is provided with lugs Il which engage the ball it and prevent it from seating closely against the contracted lower end of the chamber Il. A smaller chamber ll is formed in the body i2 below the chamber il and is provided with a bell-shaped outlet or opening 3| at its lower end. I

A valve I! is provided for closing the opening JI and has an upwardly extending valve stem I3- p surrounded by a conical spring 34. The spring'is 5 held from upward displacement by a'collar Il ,secured to the upper end of the rod 33. The enlarged lower end of the spring 34 rests against a shoulder Il which surrounds the opening Il and forms the lower end oi.' the chamber 3l.

, A cap or cover 4l may be provided for the lower end of the bodly I2, which c'over 4l is vented and serves to protect the valve I! from accidental When the barrel is in its normal-position with 15 the vent valve uppermost, the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 1, with the ball Il resting on the collar Il or the upper end of the valve rod 33, and forcing the valve I2 downward to open position, the ball It being of substantial mass so 20 that it definitely ovetpowers the spring 34.

In this position the barrel isv enectively vented through the opening Il and the chambers 3 0 and li, but the screen il acts on theprinciple of a miners safety lamp and prevents any possibility 25 of gas or vapor in the barrel being ignited from an outside flame. 'I'he screen il also prevents dirt which might enter the openings 2i from reaching the valve I! and. preventing eii'eetive seating thereof.

If the barrel B is rolled to the podtion shown in Pig. 2, either intentionally or accidentally, the ball Il will roll away from the collar Il and valve rod I3, and the spring M will then act immediately to draw the valve $2 upward into the bell- 35 shaped opening 3| thus eflectively closing the vent opening. K

When the barrel is returned to normal positiomsw Y/ the ball It automatically resumes the position shown in Fig. 1, and the vent valve is again 40 opened thereby.

I have thus provided an exceedingly simple vent valve in which there are no bearings or close-fitting parts, and in which the ball Il 'and loosely mounted valve 32 are the only moving 45 parts. My improved vent valve is thus unusually reliable in operation and furnishes very effective protection, as there is no possibility whatever oi' the valve I2 sticking in the open position shown in F18. 1.

If the valve should become too ilrmly seated in the closed position shown in Fig. 2, as by long dlsuse, so that the weight of the ball Il is not sumcient to open the valve, no particular harm would be done, as the failure of the barrel to a;

vent properly would immediately resultdninvestigation and in the application of sumcient force to the ball It to free the valve for normal operation. e

When my improved vent valve is used in externa situations where it may be exposed to rain or other unfavorable weather conditions, the .form of cap shown ln Fig. 4 may be substituted for the cap 2li. This cap for external use comprises a sleeve 50 having slots or notches 5I in its upper e'nd and having a semi-spherical cover I2 permanently secured to the upper end of the sleeve S0 in any convenient manner as by brazing or welding. With this form of cap, entrance of rain or other moisture through the'valve is eflectually prevented.

Having thus described my invention andthe advantages thereof. l do not wish to be limited 'to the detalls herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what I claimisz- A vent valve comprising a body having a chamv -ber'wlth a contracted lower end portion. a sec- 0nd and smaller chamber positioned adjacent and directly below said rst chamber and freely aum communicating therewith, said second chamber having a valve opening in its lower lend and an inverted valve seat surrounding said opening. a valve member mounted below said valve opening and engageable with said inverted valve seat. said valve member having a valve stem extending upward through said opening and into said second chambena spring housed entirely in said second chamber when said vent ,valve is open, said spring surrounding said valve stem and being disposed between a collar on said valve stem and a flange at the lower end of said second chamber, a bali loosely mounted in said nrat chamber and freely abutting the upper end of said valve stem and edectlve to depress said valve stem and to thereby open the vent valve when said valve ls in normal vertical position, and said ball rolling free from said valve stem to permit said valve member to be moved by said spring to engage said valve seatand close said vent valve when the vent valve is turned to a position in which its longitudinal axis is horizontal.

CHARLES M. mmm 

